Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueinfinity’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueinfinity’, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with large dark red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Dueinfinity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueinfinity’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 1997 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-20-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 95-758-34, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Dueinfinity was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in January, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dueinfinity’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dueinfinity’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Inflorescences with large dark red-colored flower bracts.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.     -   4. Early flowering; response time, about 7.5 weeks.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Poinsettia are stronger, have darker green-colored leaves and darker red-colored flower bracts. Compared to plants of the male parent selection, plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright, are more vigorous and have more cyathia per corymb.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Fiscor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Fiscor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Fiscor.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer postproduction         longevity than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a single flowering plant of ‘Dueinfinity’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the winter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cm pots and pinched once about five weeks after planting. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar     Dueinfinity. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-20-01, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima             Willd. identified as code number 95-758-34, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C.             Winter: About 13 days at 22° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 22° C.             Winter: About four weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous, fleshy and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.         -   Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About six             lateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About             13 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm.             Color: 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 10.5 cm. Width: About 7.1 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.             Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: 136A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137B.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137B. Venation, upper surface: 146A.             Venation, lower surface: 146B. Petiole: Length: About             4.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             187A to 187B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences             persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern             Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced             under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about 7.5             weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia             maintain good substance and bract color for about nine weeks             under interior conditions and about 12 to 14 weeks under             greenhouse conditions.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral             branch, about six.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 24 cm. Height (depth):             About 3 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence:             About 14. Length, largest bracts: About 11 cm. Width,             largest bracts: About 6 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Mostly flat, slightly             rugose. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing             bracts, upper surface: 46A. Developing bracts, lower             surface: 53A to 53B. Fully developed bracts, upper surface:             53B; color becoming closer to 46D with development. Fully             developed bracts, lower surface: 53B to 53C. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: Same as lamina. Flower bract petiole:             Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 53A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About ten. Diameter             of cyathia cluster: About 3 cm. Length: About 6.4 mm.             Diameter: About 4.6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature: 143B.             Color, mature: 143A to 143B. Peduncle: Length: About 4.8 mm.             Diameter: About 1.6 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved.             Color: 143B. Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathium:             About 35. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm.             Anther color: 187A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen             color: 9A. Pistils: Quantity of pistils per cyathium: One.             Pistil length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style             color: 144B. Stigma color: 59A. Ovary color: 144A.             Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries per cyathium: One. Length:             About 3.6 mm. Color: 15A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueinfinity’, as illustrated and described. 